Without Dividend
by YuGiOhRox
Summary: A little Mariku and Malik fluff piece. Mariku has a cold and this is Malik's way of looking after him. Bronzeshipping if you squint.


Without Dividend

**I can't claim credit for this; I saw a doujinshi and thought it was cute so I'm writing it out with my own little twist.**

*/*\*

_Only I understand you,_

_And only you understand me._

Malik sat up in his bed and heard a pained groan from Mariku's room; he put some clothes on and walked down the corridor to Mariku's room to see what was wrong. There he saw Mariku lying in bed, with the covers wrapped around him tightly, and he was sweating. This wasn't his wet dream face though, Malik had seen _that_ before.

He walked over to Mariku and shook him awake gently. "Hey Mariku."

Mariku opened his eyes and Malik noticed a red tint to them, this only happened when Mariku was grouchy or ill. "Ugh, what do you want? I'm trying to sleep."

Malik pressed his hand against Mariku's forehead. "Hya! Your hand is cold! Geh, get away!"

"You have a fever."

"No."

Malik sighed at Mariku's stubbornness. "Yeah, you do. My hand isn't cold; you're head's really hot."

Mariku growled at Malik to go away and tried to cocoon himself in the covers.

"I'm going to get the thermometer now; we have to check your temperature."

Mariku grumbled. "Feh, whatever."

Malik left the room and searched around for the thermometer in the medicine cabinet. He rummaged past his pills and Mariku's, some girly beauty stuff for Ishizu and the Tylenol, but he couldn't find it. He walked back into Mariku's room.

"Hey."

"What."

"You don't have to growl at me Mariku. Do you know where the thermometer is?"

"No." Mariku's face started rippling with the veins that came through when he was stressed or angry. Malik hurried out the door and Mariku breathed deeply to calm himself down.

Malik looked through the kitchen and found the thermometer by the kettle, he walked back to Mariku and took the temperature. It was 34.7 degrees Celsius.

Malik winced. "Not too good."

Mariku groaned again. "Grr, it hurts." Malik patted his arm in comfort.

"I found some medicine in the cabinet. But you have to have to eat before you take it, so eat something."

"Don't wanna." Malik sighed, sometimes his Yami could be really out of character.

"Have some food!" He got in Mariku's face to pressure him into eating.

"Shut up! You're loud voice is making my head ring!" Mariku shoved him away and Malik fell on his butt. He got up and rubbed it and Mariku saw, making him blush slightly before he buried his head in the pillows.

Malik ignored this and persisted with his task. "Anyway, after you eat something and take your medicine you can go back to sleep. So what do you feel like having?"

"Whatever, just let me go back to sleep quickly."

'_He really doesn't know how to look after a sick person.'_ Mariku thought after Malik clapped him on the back.

"We should have some yoghurt, I'll bring that for you."

Mariku closed his eyes and took a trip into his memories.

_Mariku was pulling at Ishizu's bedsheets and they flew to the ground. "Big sister."_

_Ishizu sat up and smiled as she looked at the small boy. "I see you've gotten yourself up this morning today."_

_Mariku tugged on the sleeves of her nightgown. "Come here."_

_Ishizu was confused but let her honorary little brother pull her around her home into Malik's room. Her brother was lying in bed, not looking well. Ishizu gasped and moved to his side instantly. She placed her hand on his forehead and recoiled at how hot it was._

"_Oh dear, it seems you've caught a cold Malik. I'll go and get the thermometer." Malik nodded to show that he'd heard her and coughed weakly. She gave him a small smile before leaving the room._

_Mariku moved to Malik's side and crossed his arms on the bed, putting his head on his arms. "You okay?"_

"_No."_

"_Want some food?"_

_Malik coughed, "No."_

"_But you have to eat something or you can't take your medicine."_

"_I know."_

_Mariku looked at Malik, concerned. "Do you know why I caught a cold Mariku?"_

_Mariku saw a great opportunity to tease him a little. "Sort of." He replied as blankly as he could. "You've narrowly escaped death."_

"_Shut up! It isn't that severe." Another weak cough. Mariku got worried again and patted his hand in comfort._

"_Hey, don't overdo it."_

Mariku opened his eyes when he heard footsteps, he hadn't realized he'd fallen asleep. He rolled over and saw Malik.

"You're awake." Malik smiled.

Mariku looked at him incredulously and Malik's smile turned into a scowl. "What?"

"Have you been here this whole time Malik?"

"Yeah, looking at your suffering face is fun." Mariku rolled his eyes at Malik's teasing.

"You have such a bad personality." Mariku looked at the wall and sighed.

"Hey Malik?"

"Yeah?"

"Was there a time before this when I realized you had a cold?"

"What?"

Mariku stared at him. "What Mariku? You're being creepy."

Mariku got a tick on his forehead and clenched his fist. He would've given Malik a scathing remark, but Ishizu walked through the door.

"Oh, are you awake all ready?"

"Big sister." the two boys said simultaneously.

"I heard you had a cold, so I came home to make sure you were alright, but…"

Mariku was confused and looked at Malik. Malik grumbled and looked away to Ishizu.

"It'd be better if you didn't come home."

"But it was because you were worried little brother." Ishizu was confused.

Mariku's face lit up. "No way!"

"Ugh Malik, since he's okay now you can go and eat."

Mariku's face turned into that of an excited child, "You were so fascinated about watching me that you forgot to feed yourself?"

"Feh, who'd wanna watch someone as creepy as you?"

"Hey! You're creepy too!"

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

Ishizu sighed, "Oh be quiet, if you have that much energy you must be fine, right? Even if you sounded quite worried on the phone Malik."

The two boys stopped their squabble and both looked at Ishizu for different reasons. Mariku looked curious and Malik looked mad. He yelled, "Big sis! Don't make up fake memories!"

Ishizu was still confused, "Malik I didn't. Your voice was trembling strangely so I rushed right home."

"BIG SIIIIIIIS!" Malik complained, embarrassed.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't make such a racket around a sick person. Really, whenever there's something wrong with either of you, you two have always stuck together and refused to let go."

"Really? Always?" The two blonde boys asked. Malik sweatdropping slightly and Mariku looking happy.

"Yes. Always." Mariku delved into his memories again.

_Malik was still lying the bed and he was holding hands with Mariku who was trying to stay by his side while Ishizu was trying to pull Mariku away. Ishizu sighed at Mariku's stubbornness. "Look, it'll be good to know right away if anything happens with him, but what if you catch his cold?"_

"_I'm staying." Mariku said, tightening his grip on Malik's hand, pouting at Ishizu for wanting to take him away from Malik._

"_But you can't!" She exclaimed._

"_I'm staying!"_

He shook himself out of his thoughts and noticed that Ishizu had been relaying the same memory. She giggled and said, "I can never tell if you get along really well or really badly."

Malik was blushing and was staring off into space and Mariku facepalmed to hide the pink dusting over his cheeks. "You're an idiot Mariku."

"Isn't that you?"

"Shut up."

"No really, you're an idiot."

"It seems like you two do get along well." She giggled again.

"No way!" Both the boys yelled, looking at her like _she_ was the crazy one.

Still, she only giggled.

_Only you understand me,_

_And only I understand you._


End file.
